Page 62 - Writing Winning Business Proposals

Aligning the Baseline Logic 53

well deepen your understanding of ABC’s current situation and the advantages
of changing it. After considering the “list/expand/align” procedure in Cells 2 and
6 (and the material in the next chapter), you know the following:

◉ You should complete the benefits in the Planning column.
◉ To indicate to ABC the likely benefits of implementing the plan you will
develop, you should indicate the likely benefits that will accrue subsequent to
implementation. This “measurable-results orientation” strategy not only will
provide ABC a good sense of the “end game,” it also could position you well to
be chosen to conduct the Implementation Project.
◉ Benefits flow from the achievement of the desired result and from the deliverables
produced along the way. Therefore, you should attempt to identify one or more
benefits from the stated desired result as well as from each deliverables in Cell 5.
◉ For each benefit you list, you should then expand by asking yourself, “What
likely benefits will accrue if this listed benefit occurs.”
◉ You should align each expanded benefit by asking the following questions:
• Is there at least one deliverable that will generate this benefit? If not, you
should add one and consider whether this new deliverable is aligned with
the desired result.
• Is there an effect (or a lack of benefits) aligned with this benefit? If not, you
should add at least one in Cell 2.
◉ After completing the alignment process, you should red flag any newly gener-
ated benefit, deliverable, effect, or lack of benefit that has not been discussed
with ABC and/or that appears “out of scope.”

When you are finished, your efforts look like those in Figure 3.25, with most of
the implementation benefits red flagged and two of the planning benefits green
flagged, a symbol you are using to indicate a particular strength. These green-
flagged items, you believe, will be particularly persuasive to ABC, given the
situation described to you by Gilmore. You realize that you could go on ad infini-
tum generating additional effects and benefits. However, you decide for now that
you have enough to show to Gilmore, who can confirm what you have or seek
additional confirmation from the major players at ABC. Just as important, you
feel confident that the foundation to your proposal is indeed sound and logical—
and much more extensive than you had realized. You have used the alignment
process to develop ideas that could help ABC better understand their own situa-
tion as well as differentiate you from your competitors.